About
Nankhatai is an eggless shortbread from the Indian subcontinent that has a melt in mouth texture. These cookies are hugely popular in India and Pakistan. The word Nankhatai breaks into two words here Nan Khatai, Nan translates to BREAD and Khatai is BISCUITS. These cardamom and saffron scented, rich and buttery cookies are the perfect snack with a cuppa, lunch box, after-school snacks, coffee morning, afternoon tea, high tea or a lovely and thoughtful gift for your foodie friends or family.
Ingredients notes
Nankhatai can be made of a handful of Ingredients and these should be easy to find in the market. Flours – Regular plain flour (aka all purpose flour or maida) chickpea flour (besan) and semolina (sooji or rawa). Do not use self-raising flour. Sugar – Caster sugar or grind regular granulated sugar in a grinder at home. Fat – Ghee is a must as Nankhatai is all about Indian flavours otherwise it will be a normal shortbread. Spices – A good quality cardamom and saffron will make all the difference. Cardamom powder or lightly crushed, any will do. Nuts – Pistachio and almonds slivers.
Variations
The original recipe tastes perfect as it is, but you can play around with flavours. Cinnamon and Nutmeg Nankhatai – omit saffron, instead add cinnamon and nutmeg powder. Pistachio and Almond Nankhatai – add a couple of tablespoons of ground pistachio and almond. Chocolate Nankhatai – add cocoa powder or white chocolate. Wholewheat Nankhatai – swap plain flour with whole wheat flour. Cornmeal Nankhatai – Use cornmeal instead of semolina. Air fryer Funfetti Nankhatai – add funfetti/sprinkles to the dough and bake in the air fryer. For a change make Chai Spice Cookies (Nankhatai) by adding a pinch of Chai Masala Powder
Pro Tips
- Use ghee and do not compromise on the quantity given in the recipe, after all, you want your Nankhatais to be melting in your mouth. It should be buttery, rich and Indian flavoured. Prominent taste and flavours of ghee make Nankhatai special.
- Do not use butter, making ghee at home is so easy and quick and won’t require any skill what so ever. Butter won’t give those special flavours.
- Always use semi-solid consistency ghee, which is slightly grainy. In warmer climates, the ghee stays melted in the container, to bring it to the semi-solid consistency leave the ghee in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or so.
- Allow the oven to heat up to the right temperature before baking. It takes at least 10-12 minutes to preheat the oven.
- Do not overbake, after 12-15 minutes of baking keep a very close eye on it.
- Don’t over knead the dough.
The perfect texture, shape and flavour
Perfect Nankhatai should be light but with rich flavours, slightly crispy inside but delicate enough that it just crumbles and melts in your mouth. For the sign of a perfectly baked Nankhatai, find three to four cracks over the surface, the texture should give you the impression that any moment the Nankhatai will crumble. The shape of the Nankhatai should be round and chubby and not be flattened.
Serving Suggestion
Serve with an authentic Indian Masala Chai or filter coffee. It is also delicious with Kesar Badam Milk.
How to make Nankhatai
The best thing about this recipe is that there is no waiting game here, just measure all the ingredients, mix it, shape it, bake it and eat it. The dough of Nankhatai does not need any resting or chilling as this recipe uses baking powder. In a big mixing bowl, cream the ghee and caster sugar until creamy and fluffy. Add sieved flours, cardamom powder and saffron threads.Combine everything, do not over mix. Preheat the oven and line the baking tray. Equally, divide the dough into small balls (roughly between 25 to 30 grams each) avoid using a fork or too much pressure as we want Nankhatai to be round and chubby. Arrange them on the cold lined baking tray. Bake in the preheated oven for 7-8 minutes, then sprinkle nuts slivers and again bake for maximum 8-10 minutes. As soon as you see edges becoming darker, remove the tray and let it sit for a while. Do not attempt to lift the cookies at this stage they will just crumble. Once totally cool, lift gently and store in an airtight container. Can I make vegan Nankhatai? Yes, you can but the taste will differ. Swap ghee with vegetable ghee, coconut oil or any other vegan butter. How do I make Gluten free Nankhatai? Use gluten-free plain flour instead of regular plain flour and replace semolina with gluten-free oats powder or cornmeal. How long can Nankhatai last? You can store these Nankhati in an airtight container at room temperature for about 2 weeks.
